


Where Loyalties Lie

by bluerose5



Series: Exile AU [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Communication, Established Relationship, Exile Scott, Fluff and Angst, Happy Reyes is Best Reyes, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mechanic Scott Ryder, Mentions of Canonical Character Death, Panic Attacks, Romance, Sleep Deprivation, Sort Of, non-sexual nudity, they're working on it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 01:25:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14557833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluerose5/pseuds/bluerose5
Summary: Scott receives some game-changing news. When neutrality seems as if it's no longer an option, Scott has to be prepared to defend his own interests.





	Where Loyalties Lie

**Author's Note:**

> Another installment to my Exile AU. I might make some more minor edits to this, but I hope everyone enjoys it as is!

On the day that it happens, Scott is on vacation.

Well, it's as much of a vacation as anyone can have on a planet like Kadara, especially considering how they're in the middle of a gang war and an environmental collapse. Nevertheless, it's a vacation, and Scott's sticking to it.

With all of the shuttle repairs finished for the day and his Resistance reports sent off, Scott takes a moment to simply sit back and relax.

Of course, Scott being Scott, he can only sit still for so long before he starts to restlessly squirm, all of his antsy tendencies taking over within a second. He tries his best to lower his hackles, to ease his stress. He doesn't so much as want a vacation, but it's more like he physically  _needs_ it. One can only run off of fumes for so long before exhaustion takes control, but the rising tensions at Kadara Port are really, _really_ getting under his skin. He tries not to think about Reyes or the Collective, just as he tries not to think about Sloane or the Outcasts. He tries his best to keep to himself, isolated away, save for his occasional excursions into Port or against the Roekar.

Turns out that trying to distract his mind from such stressful thoughts only delays the inevitable.

Scott is known for being one of the few neutral parties in Kadara that actually gives a damn about its people and their fate. He's one of the even fewer that actually does shit about it, taking real action instead of spouting pretty words.

Even though he roams around with his father's title constantly hanging over his head, people start to realize that he's more than that. Kadara's inhabitants, angaran and Milky Way species alike, enlist his help more often, and a mixture of praise and distrust arises.

When rumors circulate about him, painting him as some type of hero, or —even worse— as some third player in Kadara's political game, Scott is quick to quash those speculations, nipping them right in the bud. He doesn't have the time nor the patience to get involved in that nasty shitshow, but he's never one to turn down a request for help.

Reyes calls it being selfless.

Scott calls it common courtesy.

But, despite all that he does in order to stop it, Scott cannot prevent what comes to pass. He understands that, one day, when Kadara's scales are too unsteady, too unbound, he's going to have to make a decision. Neutrality can only last for so long, especially when your loved one's life is on the line, and anyone who denies that fact is either blind or stupid.

Until then, though, Scott will enjoy the calm before the storm.

He's outside of his home, hitting rocks with a pipe, reminiscing about cherished moments spent at baseball games with Ellen, when Reyes arrives. Scott doesn't comment on the gradual process of Reyes moving into his home. More and more of their time is spent together, and bits and pieces of Reyes' personal belongings conveniently make their way into Scott's home over the course of this time, only to never leave again. Neither man mentions it, but Scott lets it slide every time. Each time that Reyes returns, however, Scott wonders if one of them will eventually mention it. How serious things are becoming between them.

So far, that conversation hasn't happened.

Too bad that doesn't stop Scott's stupid heart from skipping a beat every time that Reyes returns. He's so far gone on this man that he falls further and further each time they're together. It isn't rational, sure, but it sure as hell is addicting.

Reyes waits till Scott finishes his next swing, both of them watching as the rock is sent directly into the perimeter's shielding. A blue ripple echoes from the point of impact, but Reyes is already back to watching Scott, a soft smile stretching across his face.

"Hey there," Reyes greets. He plants a big kiss on Scott's cheek, readjusting the bag that's hanging off his shoulder.

"Hey yourself, handsome," Scott says, diving straight in to claim Reyes' mouth with his own. Reyes chuckles at his eagerness, but he returns the excitement tenfold, only pulling away once they've had their fill.

"Miss me?" Reyes jokes, his golden brown eyes twinkling with mischief. Scott takes a second to revel in that, in Reyes' genuine spark of happiness, because it wasn't always like that.

Even now, on most days, uncertainty has its ways of creeping into Reyes' gaze, so Scott does his best to take advantage of moments like these, those moments in which all of Reyes' self-doubt melts completely away. Those moments when he is certain of them, above all else.

"Of course," Scott hums, stealing yet another kiss. He sets his pipe aside and drags Reyes to the shuttle's platform. They both settle in on its stairs, bodies angled inwards, their knees and elbows bumping comfortably together.

Eyes locked sharply on Reyes, Scott leans back, reaching down only to pluck at some grass. He fiddles busily with the blades, urging his fingers to stay moving.

Reyes' gaze is just as intense, even more so once Scott truly thinks about it, but Scott's skin never fails to prickle under such heated scrutiny. Reyes knows the effect he has, and it's evident in the way that he smirks, sidling closer into Scott's side.

"Then it's a good thing that I thought about you too," Reyes says, leaning over to fish around in his bag. Once he's done, he straightens up, victoriously wielding a small, metallic canister.

Scott instantly knows what it is, his eyes lighting up.

"Reyes," he huffs, fondly slapping his boyfriend on the shoulder. "You gotta stop getting me gifts. You're spoiling me."

Despite his exaggerated opposition, Scott still swipes the tiny tub out of Reyes' unsuspecting hands, reveling in the cold metal against his heated skin. He rolls it steadily in his palms, and Reyes rolls his eyes, conjuring up two spoons for their use.

"See, you say that," he says, snatching the container back, "but then you always take whatever I get you."

"Only because I don't believe in wasting anything, especially food," Scott snickers.

While Reyes opens the container, Scott slips one of the spoons free of his grasp, diving into the obnoxiously pink concoction with fervor. As long as he doesn't look directly at it, he can almost imagine it being chocolate ice cream from Earth, instead of whatever local equivalent they designed in Andromeda. It's grainier and icier than the stuff in the Milky Way, the texture never being quite right, but perfection shouldn't be expected out of a hostile frontier such as this. The fact that they have "ice cream" at all is enough for Scott. It's a familiarity in an extremely unfamiliar place, but the nostalgia feels exactly like home.

Ice cream is difficult to come by, expensive, so Reyes is already waiting for Scott to turn on him, scooping up his own bite.

"Thanks for this, but how much did you spend on it?" Scott asks, raising a brow. Reyes shrugs nonchalantly, the sweet mixture melting roughly on his tongue.

"Nothing," Reyes says cryptically. At that, Scott glowers, but Reyes merely chuckles in response. "What?" He has that perfectly innocent mask set up, but Scott's not buying it for a second.

"Reyes..." Scott warns.

"Oh, come on. I'm not lying. I had a favor to call in."

"So you used it on ice cream?" Scott questions, not entirely sure he is hearing right. Reyes nods seriously, taking another bite.

"Ice cream for  _us,"_ Reyes corrects, pointing his spoon at Scott. "Besides, you deserve it. Consider it payment for shuttle repairs."

"Uh-huh... you know, you shouldn't pay people you have sex with. It sends people mixed signals," Scott taunts.

Reyes reaches in for another scoop, but Scott swats his spoon with his own and steals a large chunk of ice cream. Reyes pouts at Scott's smug grin.

"If ice cream is all it takes to keep you in my bed, then you're way too easy, cariño." Scott nearly shoves Reyes off of the platform at that, but Reyes is too busy dissolving into laughter.

If Reyes wasn't so damned cute when he actually let go and relaxed, Scott would've done better at faking his anger.

As it is, he can't help but to shyly duck his head, smiling softly at his boyfriend's silliness.

"What can I say?" Scott chuckles. "I'm a simple man with simple needs."

"Hmm..." Reyes hums, finishing off the last of their ice cream. Scott's eyes focus in on how his lips wrap around the spoon, how his tongue darts out for its last bit of sustenance. A heady fog descends over Scott's mind, but he peels it away within the next second, unwilling to be distracted. "Am I one of those needs?"

"On your good days," Scott says, giggling when Reyes grasps dramatically at his chest, feigning heartbreak.

"Oh, cariño, how you wound me!"

"You're such a dork," Scott snorts. Reyes eyes him in a way that says, 'Seriously?'

"Like you're one to talk," Reyes says, voicing what both of them are thinking. He sets aside the ice cream and snuggles closer to Scott, their hands brushing ever so slightly.

Heat gathers in Scott's belly, and he's lucky that he's already sitting down, his knees suddenly weak.

"Speaking of days," Scott drones, staring thoughtfully at their fingers, "how was yours?"

"Nothing too exciting. Evfra has me— well,  _Shena,_ " he corrects, using their shared alias for the Angaran Resistance, "investigating this one man who Sloane is after."

"Name?" Scott asks. When Reyes gives him that 'look,' Scott huffs, visibly annoyed. "What?"

"You're supposed to be resting up."

Scott grits his teeth. "So you keep telling me."

"Scott, you're not invincible. You can't keep operating on caffeine, adrenaline, and minimal hours of sleep. It's not healthy, and you know that."

"I'm just trying to help—"

"I know!" Reyes snaps. He lowers his voice and shifts even closer to Scott, leaning his weight fully against him as a subconscious reminder. Scott is fine. He is here, and he is fine. That's all that Reyes needs. "I know, but you can't sit here and help others if you can barely take care of yourself."

When Scott glances away, Reyes caresses his cheek, urging him back until Reyes can freely capture his gaze. A thrum of energy sizzles along Reyes' spine at how easily Scott complies, at how easy Scott Ryder —of all people— trusts  _him_ to guide him right.

Reyes can admit, it's a bit intoxicating. Had Scott been anyone else, Reyes would chalk it up as a weakness to be exploited.

But Scott's not just "anyone else." He was there before Reyes became the Charlatan, both of them looking out for each other's backs way before the exile. From the time they arrived, it had always been Reyes relying on Scott, and Scott relying on Reyes. Their best times were spent either talking shop or shooting the shit together after a long day's work, and —for a long time— it worked.

It wasn't until Kadara that they became more, and Reyes is only just now learning how to fit into this type of relationship. With Scott, there are no ulterior motives to be had. He doesn't have any credits or supplies that are worthwhile to Reyes' agenda. At best, he has a mixed reception from the people at Port, but his network of contacts is still impressive nonetheless. For the time being, it's nothing that will necessarily benefit the Charlatan or his Collective, which returns to Reyes' original line of reasoning. 

Loving Scott Ryder is different because it's not based solely on business. Their first encounters were out of necessity, a bond forged between a pilot and his mechanic, but those first encounters transformed into a trusting friendship, which eventually transformed into something romantic.

Scott knows the sides of Reyes that almost never come out, except in select company.

Scott knows the Reyes that few people know as "Anubis." More than that, he also knows the man behind the masks, the titles.

Scott knows Reyes when he is simply "Reyes Vidal," no more, no less.

Which is why Reyes needs Scott to take better care of himself. Unbeknownst to Scott, Reyes does not take such investments —such commitments— lightly. Reyes has been burned and scorned enough in the past to last him a lifetime, thank you. Enough people have disappointed him over the years, but he  _knows_ that Scott is different. And because he  _knows,_ Reyes ends up putting a lot more of himself into their relationship than he should, more so than any other relationship in the past. He has a lot on the line to lose. He is setting himself up for an inevitable world of pain in the future, should something happen between him and Scott. Kian and Keema tried to warn him about that numerous times in the past, but Reyes has never been great with following others' advice. 

And, surprisingly, should something happen with Scott, Reyes finds that he'll be okay with that, as long as he can keep him in his life. 

No matter the outcome, it will all be worth it.

Scott grumbles under his breath. "I'm fine, Rey."

Sure he is.

"Of course..." Reyes drawls, purposefully tracing beneath Scott's eyes. Dark shadows and heavy bags lay there, and Reyes knows that he's already won this particular argument before it started. "How much have you slept in the past week?"

"Enough."

"Bullshit," Reyes snarls, watching those beautiful blue eyes freeze over in annoyance.

"Reyes..."

"Scott..." Reyes mocks.

Snatching his face away, Scott leans back and roughly clenches his jaw, his arms wrapped snugly across his chest, resuming his earlier torment on the nearby grass.

"Nineteen hours, give or take, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Scott asks, every line in his body tense. "I've been having too many nightmares. Work helps. It keeps me calm, keeps me busy... Keeps my mind on other things."

"Is something wrong?" Reyes wonders, but silence is his only answer. Sighing, he runs his fingers through his hair, his leg bouncing nervously up and down, up and down, up and down... Over and over, until he simply has to ask. "What is it? What's been troubling you?" More silence lingers, twisting Reyes' stomach into knots. He tries his best to keep up the calm front, but he's internally falling apart due to his own desperation. Bile threatens to surface, but he forces it back. Deep breaths. Deep breaths... "Mi amor, we can't _fix_ things if we don't talk about what's broken to begin with. I'm trying to understand."

Scott fidgets at that, knowing deep down that Reyes is right, but there's so much buzzing around in his mind right now. Too much.

"Want to come in?" Scott says, nodding abruptly towards the entrance of his cave. It's a sloppy attempt at dodging the subject at hand, but Scott doesn't let that deter him. Before Reyes can react, Scott's already standing, strolling off into his home without another word.

Reyes gathers up their mess into his bag and follows immediately after.

As soon as he's in, he tosses his stuff into a nearby corner and listens carefully. The shower is on, which means that so is its timer. Even with all of their attempts at constant filtering, the amount of clean water being produced is still way less than the daily requirements. Rationing is stricter at this point, so Reyes wastes no time in stripping off his clothes and joining Scott in his tiny, compact shower.

No words are shared, but there are plenty of touches to more than make up for that. Their lips find each other, as they always do, and they make sure to make the most out of their three minutes. They were both in the military at some point in their lives, so it's honestly more than enough time for them both.

Once they emerge and dry off, Scott doesn't give Reyes time to slip into any clothes. Instead, he drags him to the makeshift bed in his bedroom, where both men settle down onto the cushioned pallet. Scott stretches out over Reyes' chest, silent as he draws patterns over his heart.

Eventually, he glances up, meeting Reyes' curious gaze.

"I've just been worrying about you," Scott finally admits, frowning. "As in, worrying  _a lot._ "

"About Sloane," Reyes says. Slowly but surely, tension begins leaking into every pore of his body, stiffening him underneath Scott's wandering hands. He tries to run his fingers through Scott's hair, but the calming effects from earlier are gone. "Oh."

"Yeah," Scott says, chuckling flatly. "'Oh.'"

"You don't have to wor—"

"Yes, yes, I do have to worry," Scott sighs, staring resolutely over Reyes' shoulder. "Something is happening, isn't it? I've been having this feeling deep in my gut lately. Like something big is gonna happen soon, and I— Reyes—" Scott takes a shuddering breath before meeting Reyes' eyes. His lower lip trembles in the slightest, but Scott refuses to acknowledge it. "I ca— I  _can't._ " Scott's voice cracks, and he buries his face deep into Reyes' chest. He turns his face just so, just enough to listen to Reyes' beating heart. The steady "lub-dub" continues on, as functional as ever, but it can't stop Scott's tears from trickling onto bared skin. "I lost everyone and everything else. I can't lose you too, Rey. Not to Kadara, not to  _her._ P-please, don't make me go through that. Don't."

"Scott—" Reyes starts, but Scott can't stop. Not now.

He's thought on things long enough. He's stayed neutral long enough. When the time came, he already knew which side of this war he would be on. There wasn't ever a doubt in his mind, but Scott knows that all of Reyes' cards are falling meticulously into play. He has his pieces set up on the board exactly how he wants them, and it's no secret that Reyes is about to strike.

Scott cannot sit by while it happens.

"Promise me," Scott whispers against his skin. "Promise me that I'll be there when you're ready to take her down."

"I promise."

Reyes doesn't even hesitate, feeling it down to the very depths of his soul how much this has been affecting Scott.

If he can alleviate that pain, even in the slightest, then he will do so.

Also, given the circumstances, it would be pretty hypocritical for Reyes to turn Scott down at this point, knowing that he would be doing the exact same thing if the roles were reversed.

Reyes pulls Scott impossibly closer, ignoring the snot and tears in favor of simply existing in this moment. Together.

There's still another matter to attend to. One that Scott needs to hear from him upfront.

"Evfra contacted me today about a man named Vehn Terev," Reyes says, finally revealing the name. "Apparently, Sloane is out for his arrest, followed by his immediate execution, but that's not all."

"Of course it's not," Scott sighs, having no doubts about what Evfra wants. A rescue mission, and from Sloane's prisons, no less... Lovely.

Reyes squirms, drawing Scott's attention to his uneasy —and his definitely uncomfortable— demeanor. It takes a lot, even from Scott, to break through Reyes' composure, so Scott is all over the weakness when he spots it.

"What? What is it?" Scott demands, sitting up. Reyes follows, grabbing Scott's hand for support.

"You're not going to like this," Reyes whispers.

"God, Rey, just tell me, or I'm going to automatically assume the worse," Scott whispers. His grip tightens unintentionally around Reyes' hand, but Reyes takes it without complaint.

"Evfra said that we should be expecting the human Pathfinder."

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, it's as if the floor, as if the-the  _everything_ disappears around Scott. For a solid second, he chokes helplessly, suspended in an endless moment of disbelief. Tears blur his vision, but Scott feels nothing but sorrow. The pitying gaze that Reyes levels him with is not one of reassurance, and he already knows the answer to his question without asking.

"My father...?"

Reyes' face falls, and that says it all. It's with great regret that he shakes his head, confirming Scott's deepest fears.

When Scott releases a wounded cry, Reyes pulls him into a tight embrace, crooning softly into his ear. Scott's sobs wrack his body with full-blown tremors.

He had always suspected. After never getting any word back from the other arks, he had always suspected that Alec had died.

To have it confirmed, however, is another thing entirely.

Reyes continues talking, his voice filtering in as though through water. It vaguely registers in Scott's mind what he's talking about, but none of the words are important. None of them make sense.

Until Reyes mentions Sara.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Scott chokes. "Wait, what?" He pulls back to look Reyes in the eyes, his gaze watery and panicked. "'Sara'? My sister? You said her name. What about her?" When Reyes doesn't answer fast enough, it's as if Scott has no control, his world shattering to pieces. "What about her, Reyes?!"

Scott doesn't even realize that he's shaking Reyes until Reyes grabs his wrists, prying Scott's hands from his shoulders. Scott feels as if he is falling apart at the seams, but Reyes does his best to soothe him through touch, his thumbs trailing carefully over pale knuckles. He plants a kiss on both of Scott's trembling hands, never once breaking eye contact, before he places them on his chest, chasing the movements of his breaths.

"Come on, cariño, deep breaths. In..." They both inhale together, holding it for a weighted moment. "And out." Only to exhale together in tandem.

They repeat the process for as long as necessary. Their shared breaths are guided, one by one, and Scott eventually closes his eyes to block out the chaotic world around them. The suffocating sensations soon subside, leaving only a bitter aftertaste in Scott's mouth. When he is ready, he opens his eyes again, chagrined and ashamed.

"Sorry about that," Scott apologizes, even though he rationally knows that he has nothing to apologize for. Still, he always feels like shit when something like this happens. It wasn't the first time, and it sure as hell won't be the last.

Reyes scowls at him, undeterred. "It's not your fault."

Ignoring him, Scott checks Reyes over, wincing when he notices the bruises left behind on Reyes' shoulders. They're in the exact shape of Scott's fingertips, so he pulls his hands free of Reyes', as if hypnotized. Slowly, feeling his stomach curl in on itself, he aligns his fingers along with the darkening skin, pressing them into place. 

Reyes notices what he's doing, so he pulls Scott's hands back into his, a second too late.

If it's even possible, Scott feels shittier than before.

"Don't," Reyes says, eyes blazing. "You didn't hurt me. Besides—" Reyes grins bleakly. "—we've had worse from fooling around." At Scott's unimpressed stare, Reyes coughs awkwardly to the side. "Ok, yeah, wrong time to joke."

"No shit," Scott huffs, rubbing a tired hand over his face. "But it's fine. You're just trying to cheer me up."

"'Trying' being the keyword."

"Eh..." Scott shrugs, grinning wryly at his lover. "It's the thought that counts."

"I guess," Reyes says, his tone becoming serious once again. Scott straightens up at that, all attention trained on Reyes. "But I'm assuming that you didn't hear me before. Scott, your sister is alive."

"Reyes," Scott breathes, "don't lie to me."

"I wouldn't. Not about this," Reyes amends, his voice wounded. "Evfra addressed our contact as 'Pathfinder Ryder,' but the rest of the message refers to the pathfinder as a 'her.'"

What? Sara, as Pathfinder? No.

"That can't be right," Scott mutters.

Not that Scott doesn't want her to be. Sara has the potential and the dedication to make it work, but she's nowhere near the chain of command. Neither of them are. It was forbidden as part of their admittance into the Initiative, given their father's position. Regulations were put into place to prevent nepotism of any kind, including this exact situation. Neither Scott nor Sara have the qualifications for this role, so what the hell happened?

"If—" Scott swallows thickly. " _Since_ my father's dead, Cora Harper is supposed to be Pathfinder now. Sara is barred from that position, just as I am."

"Well," Reyes sighs, "Evfra isn't the only one who says so. As soon as he sent word today, I decided to check in with my off-world contacts. I scoured what intel I could. The stories, the rumors... They all check out, Scott. We knew that there was word of an ark arriving, but we never had full confirmation until now."

"And your contacts are sure that it's her?" Scott needs to be positive.

Reyes purses his lips, nodding solemnly. "It was a pain to re-establish contact, but my old sources on the Nexus say she's been doing good work. Some of my people have even been deployed to a couple of their outposts."

"And they can confirm her identity?"

"Everyone that interacted with her, yes."

Scott takes a deep, shuddering breath. He buries his face into his hands but allows Reyes to maneuver around him, settling resolutely behind his trembling form. All of Reyes' body heat seeps comfortably into his back, and Reyes takes a second to turn off their translators, leaving their actual, true voices vulnerably bared.

Planting a gentle kiss onto Scott's nape, Reyes readily nuzzles in, wrapping his muscled arms around Scott's chest. With such a steady support, Scott leans back, his body falling slack with exhaustion. Reyes continues to murmur to him in a mix of Spanish and English alike, but the message is overall the same.

Between the 'I love you's and his comforting words, he's encouraging Scott to rest, his thicker, more natural accent feeling more like home with each passing day.

But Scott isn't ready to sleep. Not yet.

He still needs some answers, first and foremost.

"When will she arrive?" he asks.

"Evfra says her ETA is about a week, more or less," Reyes answers, his lips trailing over Scott's shoulder. He presses a light kiss to his shoulder blade, right over a stray mole, smiling softly when Scott squirms.

"You know that a Pathfinder is going to mess up whatever power balance you're striving for," Scott whispers.

Reyes frowns at that, brows furrowing. "You don't need to worry about that right now."

"Now is precisely the time to think about it," Scott argues, his voice slurred and hoarse. "If a Pathfinder is coming here to act on behalf of the Initiative, it's with the intent to settle an outpost. We both know that."

"And I don't need you advocating to your sister for me," Reyes retorts. "I don't want to get you even more involved."

"I already am involved," Scott says. "You promised me to be there to take down Sloane—"

"And you will be."

Scott continues on, as if he was never interrupted in the first place. "But we both know that I'm not just going sit by while you run around as the Charlatan."

"What do you suggest then?"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Scott explains, exuding calm, but there's something in his voice now. A fierceness that wasn't there before. It resonates to Reyes' core. It leaves him scrambling, bound and breathless in awe. "All I'm saying is that, if asked, I'm making my loyalties known, so let's get this out there now. I'm not working _for_ anybody, including the Collective. I'm working _with_ the Charlatan, and that's a big difference, Rey. Don't let your little soldiers think otherwise. I'm no one's to boss around."

Reyes contemplates the words in silence, but Scott can already feel his admiring smirk, stretching out against Scott's skin.

"And if your sister asks about my identity?"

"Then I tell her that your secret isn't mine to share, but, Reyes..." Scott turns in his arms and throws his own around Reyes' neck, leaning in. "You're not going to win her over by lying, even if it's technically by omission. I understand what it's like to play by Kadara's rules. That's what we're used to, but Sara hasn't lived here for an entire year. You want her in your favor. Just... Just think on it, okay?"

"Okay," Reyes promises, closing the distance to receive a simple peck. For now, it's more than enough. "Now, if we're done, you need sleep, mi amor."

"Yeah, yeah," Scott grumbles, clinging tightly to Reyes as he stretches out along their bed. Their legs and bodies tangle together, each and every inch of them pressing deliciously together.

This entire day has taken its toll on Scott, so he's more than willing to surrender to sleep when it comes for him. The last words he hears from Reyes are faint but unmistakable. They are words that he will never get tired of hearing, so long as they come from him.

With his eyes falling closed, Scott uses his last conscious thought to summon up a feeble, "Love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading! <3


End file.
